Fluid meter



Aug. 11, 1942. A. J. GRANBERG FLUID METER Filed Sept. 3, 19.40

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, ALBERT J. GRANBERG.

IIIWAI ATTORNEYS.

1942- A. .1. GRANBERG FLUIIS METER Filed Sept. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR,

A T TORNEYS.

4 I A. J. GRANBERG ,6

FLUID-METER Filed Sept. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-She et 3 F1z'g. 10.

V IN VENTOR. ALBERT J. GRANBERG.

oR/vns.

Patented Aug. 11,- 1942 PATENT OFFICE I FLUID METER Albert J. Granberg,Emeryvillc, Calif, asignor to Granberg Emeryvill q m m 'l ration ofCalifornia e, Calm, a

Application September a, mo, No. 555,157

1 Claim (CI. 15-25:)

My invention relates to fluid meters andmore particularly to a meterthat is exceptionally ac curate at all rotational speeds.

Among the objects of my invention are:

To provide an accurate fluid meter; to provide a fluid meter requiring arelatively small amount of power to operate; to provide a fluid meterthat is accurate under different rates ofliquid flow; to provide a fluidmeter that can be easily adjusted as to output; to provide a relativelylight weight and simple fluidmeter; to provide a fluid meter havingaself-cleaning structure; to provide a fluid meter having relatively fewparts and relatively low frictional losses.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specificallypointed out inthe description forming a part of this specification,

but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention hereindescribed, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of'theclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. lisatop planviewofthecasingofone preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an interior view taken in elevation as 1 indicated by the line2-3 of Fig- 2.

Fig.4is apartialsectionalviewtakenasindicatedbythelincl-linFlg.3. Fig. 5is a view in elevation of the rotating base plate of the device shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Fig. Gisasideviewofonevane. Fig. '7 is anend view ofthe vane showninFig.

Fig. 8 is a side view of another vane.

Fig.9 isasectional view ofthevane'shownin Fig. 8 taken as indicated bythe line 99 ,in Fi 8- P 8. 10 is a view in elevation showing the bladesin interlocked position.

Fig. 11 is a top view in elevation showing the vanes only in position onthe base plate.

'Flg. 12 isapartialsectionalview ofthe base plate and a vane taken asindicated by the line 12-42 in Fig. 11. v

Fig. 13'is a side view in elevation of the vane cage.

Fig. 14 is atop view of the vane cage.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the vane cage taken as indicated by theline 15-45 in Fig. 14.

My invention may he more clearly understood by direct reference to theBeginningwithFigs.land2,an exteriorcasingisprovidedcomprisingatop Iandabase2.

outlet 5 to which inletvand outlet pipes i and 1 maybe respectivelyattached. Inlet 4 and outlet 5 open into inlet and outlet ports 8 and 5respectively, on opposite sides of a hemispherical wall I 0. Top I isalso provided with upright walls ll enclosing a gear chamber l2above'wall II, this gear chamber beingclosed by a top cap ll carrying arecording mechanism [5 of any convenient type. The base 2 isattachedtotop l by bolts It so that a hemispherical meter chamher I! isformed, having the inner spherical surface |8 thereof machine finished.At one side of the vertical axis of the meter chamber I1, is a shaftbearing aperture cut through wall It,

in which is, mounted a shaft bearing 2|, having an inner shoulder"bearin ainst the machined surface It of the meter chamber ll. Shoulder22 is held against the spherical cham- 'ber surface l8 by a compressionspring 25, hearing at one end against a washer 26 which in turn bearsagainst flat surface 21 machined on the v outside of the wall II. Theother end of the I gularly with companion gear 36, whichjin turn throughgear train 31 actuates the recording device I5 through recording shaft39 extending through top plate ll in a packed bearing ll. Thus, anyrotation of shaft 30 will be transmitted to the recording mechanism 15.Bearing 2| is 40 smaller than aperture 2! so that shoulder 22 can movecircumferentially within chamber II. This movement is under control of ayoke 42 attached to washer 26, yoke 42 being moved by nut ll threaded onshaft 44. Shaft ll passes through side walls ll through packed bearing45,

to terminate in an adjustment nut 46 on the other side of the casing 1.Thus the angular position of shaft 30 may be adjusted within the limitsof the size of aperture 20.

50 Inside meter chamber ll a vane cage 50 is attached to shaft 30 bymeans of pin 5| entering vane cage stem 54, as shown in Fig. 2, the vanecage alone being shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15. Stem 54 is centrallyattached to a coned The top I is provided with an inlet 4 and an 55flange 55, this cone flange having four radial The shaft terminateswithin a slots therein with 90 spacing, the slot edges II preferablybeing extended downwardly to provide vane bearings. In order tostrengthen the structure, reinforcing ribs are provided between stem 84and flange -55, and upright reinforcing ribs 00 are provided on stem 54opposite slots II to form lands for the vanes. The apex oi the coneflange i5 is formed with a hemispherical recess I to receive the vanetructure which will next be described.

Two vanes are provided, fitting in vane cage ll. These vanes areslightly different in general structure as shown in Figs-6 to 12inclusive. One is a ball vane 5 formed from opposed roughly triangularand coplanar vane leaves 66 and t1, the apex of the leaves enteringspherical ball 0! and the bases ll of the leaves, having sphericalsurface edges fitting machined surface I0. The lower edges of leaves 66and 61 are coextensive on either side of the ball 69 and are formed withhemispherical bearing surfaces II. Cooperating vane I2 is provided withopposed coplanar leaves I4 and I5 connected by a bridge IO, the latterhaving a hemispherical central cut 'I'I fitting over ball 69 as shown inFigs. and 11 when the two vanesare assembled. The lower surface of bothleaves ll and 15 are also protating base plate 80 has a central recess82 therein for receiving half of ball 69 with the center of this balllying in the axis of shaft and also registering with the center of thetop surface of plate 00. Vanes and 12 while held at right angles to eachother with respect to the vane cage 50, will have their symmetricalaxes, as indicated by line 02 in Fig. 6 and by line 9-9 in -Fig. 8, atconstantly changing angles to each other as cage 50 is rotated. Thevanes during rotation always have a portion of the leaves in slots 56,and their maximum penetration of the cagebrings the leaves up to lands60.

In order that base plate 80 may be rotated with the vanes,- and in orderthat the four meter chambers as formed by the base plate, the four vanesleaves and the conical flange 55, may be sealed from each other, thelower hemispherical edges 'II of the leaves are mounted in slots 90 and9| forming a part of base plat 80. Slots 90 are machined directly in thetop face of base plate 80 and fits hemispherical edges II on either oneof the vanes. Slots 9| however, are machined in separate radial inserts92, these inserts being placed in fan-shaped depressions 94 on oppositesides of the ball recess 82. Inserts 9| and 92 are provided with lowersurface slots 95, fitting lugs 90 afllxed to plate 00 in depressions 94so that bothinserts 92 may move circularly in the plane of base plate 80while engaging edges II of the vane. The reason for thiscircularmovement will be apparent upon later description of operation of thedevice.

Beforepassing to the operation of the device however, the self-cleaningstructure of the meter should be described. No attempt is made to sealthe edge ofplate 80 fluid tight to the casing, so that fluid in thevarious chambers of the meter during operation thereof may reach cavityI00 beneath base plate II in which ball bearing II is positioned. In afreely revolving meter of this type leakage between inlet and outletaround the edge of plate is negligible due to the relatively lowpressure existing between inlet and outlet. A small amount of leakage isbeneficial as the meter chamber will thus be scavenged of heavierliquids entering the meter. means, operating in this cavity, to scavengeliquid therein into the output of the device, as it, is to this pointthat liquids heavier than the liquid being metered are liable toaccumulate. For example, when the meter is used to measure gasolineflow, water'and dirt will seek the lower portion of the meter and itallowed to accumulate will tend to destroy the efilciency and accuracyof the meter. Consequently, adjacent the sides of outlet port 9 of themeter I cut in casing base 2, inlet passages III and I02 entering spaceI, and then provide on the bottom of base plate 80 angularly disposeddownwardly extending centrifugal vanes I04. As the meter rotates thesevanes pass through slot I05 in base 2 and force liquid from cavity I00outwardly through base outlet I06, thus continually changing the liquidin cavity I00. In addition, I provide a channel I01 opening into slotI05 to scavenge liquid from in and around ball bearing II as shown inFigs. 3 and 4.

In operation, liquid is passed through the assembled meter with apressure differential between inlet 6 and outlet I. The angle of shaft30 is such that the liquid enters as the compartments between the vaneleaves are enlarging, and

- as the cage and the vanes rotate these chambers pass through theirmaximum size and become smaller due to the conical shape and position ofthe vane cage 50, The conical flange on one side of the meter is at itsmaximum distance from base plate 80, and on the other side of the meterthe conical flange is positioned parallel to and close to base plat 00.During-this rotation the position symmetrical axes of the vanes willchange. For example, the only time that the symmetrical axes or theplane of either of the vanes will be vertical, is when the vane is in aposition exactly at right angles to the direction of the flow throughthe meter. At that tim the axis of symmetry of the other vane iscoextensive with the axis of shaft 30. Thu the vanes while at rightangles to each other in two planes are continually changing theirrelationship to each other insofar as their own symmetrical axes areconcerned.

The bottom edges of the vanes are alway in sealing relationship withdisc 80, due to the fact that hemispherical edges II of at least onevane, are mounted in slot 90. Thus as this vane rotates, disc 80 isrotated. The other vane is not in driving contactfwith disc 00 but restsin slots 9| on radial inserts 92, these inserts being free to movecircumferentially on disc 80. Only one of the vanes can be ioumaleddirectly on plate 80 because of the angular positioning of plate 80 withrespect to shaft 30. Inasmuch as the angle of the axis of symmetryofeach blade changes within the angle between that of the vertical axis ofthe chamber I1 and that of the axis of shaft 30, the contact angles ofthe two vanes on plate 80 will be right angles only four times duringone revolution of the meter, i. e., only when the axis of symmetry ofone vane is vertical and coinciding with the axis of the meter chamberI1, Inasmuch as there are twovanes, the symmetrical axis of each vanebecomes ver- I have provided tical twice per revolution. At all othertimes during the cycle of revolution of the meter, the vanes vary intheir angular contact with plate 80. Consequently, in order to preventbinding of the vanes on plate 80, one of the vanes is mounted on slidinginserts 92, so that the sliding inserts may follow the vane edges andtake the proper angular position on plate 80.

Thu a rocking bearing is provided for both vanes, one of which bears onthe plate 80 itself,

is only a positioning bearing the frictional losses of the device areextremelysmall.

The adjustment of the device is a sim le operation. Nut 46 is rotated,causing yoke 42 to change the angle of shaft 30. Changing the angle ofshaft 30 toward the vertical increases the size of the smallest vanechamber, and decreases the size of the largest vane chamber. When shaft30 is moved away from the vertical axis of the device, the smallestchamber becomes smaller and the largest chamber becomes larger. Thus bypositioning the shaft midway between the maximum and minimum angles,accurate ad- J'ustment is provided, whereby the volume of liquid passedthrough the device per revolution can be changed.

It will be noticed that I have used an angular gear relationship betweengears 35 and 36. This angular relationship is such that the angle ofshaft 30 can be changed within th limits desired without causing bindingof these gears and without changing the operation of the gear train.

While I have described my invention as embodied in the form of a fluidmeter it is to be understood that such a structure is reversible andthat by driving shaft 30 the device will operate as a pump. The termmeter as used herein therefore is merely descriptive of one use of thestructure as set forth in the drawings, specification and claims of thisapplication.

I claim:

1. A rotary liquid flow device comprising a casing having a sphericallysegmental inner chamber, a rotatable shaft angularly projecting intosaid chamber, a coaxial coned flange on said shaft, a rotatable discpositioned with a planar surface thereof parallel to one radius of saidconed flange, the center of said planar surface lying in the axis ofsaid coned flange, a pair of vanes extending into slots in said flange,one of said vanes directly engaging said disc, and movable radial vaneinserts in said disc engaged by the other of said vanes and movable overa surface of said disc in contact therewith in a plane parallel to thetop surface thereof, and a closure for said casing on the other side ofsaid disc, said disc being journaled thereon.

2. A rotary liquid flow device comprising 2. casing having a sphericallysegmental inner chamber, a rotatable shaft angularly projecting intosaid chamber, a coaxial coned flange on said shaft, a rotatable discpositioned with a planar surface thereof parallel to one radius of saidconed flange, the center of said planar surface lying in theaxis of saidconed flange, a pair of vanes extending into slots in said flange, oneof said vanes directly engaging said disc, and movable radial vaneinserts in said disc engaged by the other of said vanes and movableover'a surfac of said disc in contact therewith in a plane parallel tothe top surface thereof, a closure for said casing on the other side ofsaid disc, said disc being journaled thereon, and means for limiting themovement of said inserts to circular path-S. 1

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein means are provided tochange the angularity of said shaft with respect to said disc.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein recordmg means aregeared to said shaft. 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein aspace is provided between said disc and said closure, together withmeans rotating with said disc to circulate and discharge fluid reachingsaid space.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein inlet and outlet portsare formed in said casing and connected to opposite compartments formedby said vanes, flange and disc and wherein a space provided between saiddisc and said closure, said space being connected to the outlet of saiddevice, and means mounted on said disc and operating in said space toreturn liquid in said space to said outlet.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein inlet andoutlet portsare formed in said casing and connected to opposite compartments formedby said vanes, flange and disc and wherein a space is provided betweensaid disc and said closure, said space being connected to the outlet ofsaid device, and non-radial fins projecting downwardly into said spacefrom said disc and directed to move liquid entering said space into saidoutlet.

ALBERT J. GRANBERG.

